Mkhabela (40), a well-known face next to the R40 at the entrance to Hazyview, said he had only sold a small number of his famous wooden carvings in December, which has always been his busiest month of the year.
“This shop is my life, and no tourists mean no business,” he said. “I only sold a few products to South Africans over the holidays, whereas I usually cater for the international market.”
Like so many other businesses which are dependent on overseas guests, Mkhabela has had to adjust his prices to accommodate the South African traveller’s pocket. “I had to drop all my prices because South Africans can’t spend as much as international clients. So, not only did the number of buyers decrease, but the amount they spent also went down.”
Mkhabela, whose stall is open 365 days a year, is his family’s breadwinner. His mother, a pensioner, also produces creations to sell in his stall to create an additional income. “She tries to make mats and other knitted products daily so we can pay the stall’s rent, but she is old and cannot be busy every day.”
During the months of hard lockdown, furloughs and pay holidays from banks, he still had to pay the full rent, even when no money was coming in from his carvings.
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“I didn’t receive a discount. The months in which I couldn’t pay rent, I had to make arrangements with the owner to pay when I had the cash. I am still struggling to make rent, even after December.”
When sales were quiet, Mkhabela would host woodcarving workshops for those interested in learning the craft. This would form a vital additional income for him and his family. “Now, with lockdown, there haven’t been any students for these classes, so I also don’t have that income any longer.”
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Readers who are interested in helping Mkhabela and his family through this difficult time, can visit his stall on the R40 just outside Hazyview, or can send an email to marinette@lowvelder.co.za.
